


Until Dawn Breaks

by starlitpurple



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Episode Ignis Spoilers, Full Game Spoilers, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-06 17:31:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15890733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlitpurple/pseuds/starlitpurple
Summary: All they have to do is hold the line....But what comes after that?(Set during Chapter 14)





	1. Until Dawn Breaks

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so this is suuuuuper rough. (Ha!) Apologies! It's been...the better portion of a year since I've written anything ~~(*coughs* NaNo2017 *coughs*)~~ , and even longer than that since I've posted any works. FFXV has become one of my more recent obsessions and it's looking like I'm gonna be going all in with this one. It's been a long time since a new (to me) fandom has inspired me enough to write for it. Consider this an experimental piece as I try to get a feel for the characters and get back into the flow of writing once more.
> 
> There will be more! (Hopefully! *laughs*) I actually intended for this little ficlet done in 750Words to be something else, but then the build-up to that got me to my goal quicker than expected. I've been doing 750Words daily to help me kick my writing skills into shape, so there could be more as soon as tomorrow! (But seriously though, don't get your hopes up, cause I've always sucked at posting any sort of regular!)
> 
> Anyway, that's enough of my blathering. Enjoy! <3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The patter of rain wasn't loud enough to mask the retreating footsteps of their King.

The patter of rain wasn't loud enough to mask the retreating footsteps of their King. ...Nor the all too familiar sounds of daemons spawning at their backs. Ignis felt more than heard his companions turn to face the threat, and, casting one last thought to his earliest and best friend, turned toward the noise erupting from the ground behind them.

"Guess this is it," he heard Gladio's deep timber at his left.

He pushed his glasses up with his left hand and then called on his daggers, feeling their hilts materialize in his hands. "One last battle, then. Shall we?"

He wasn't sure his voice would carry around the lump in his throat and was surprised to hear how stable it sounded to his own ears.

Prompto hummed in assent. "For Noct," he said, voice firm, and Ignis found himself immediately repeating his words right along with Gladio.

He heard the whooshing of a giant's sword seconds later and backflipped neatly out of the way before pouring his all into the fray. This would be their last official task as Crownsguard to their King; keep the daemons at bay long enough for Noctis to fulfill the prophecy and bring light back to the world. They absolutely would not fail him now, not after a decade of waiting for this day to come. Noctis would succeed, they would be sure of it.

He just hoped he did it quickly. For every monster he took down, he could feel at least two more taking its place. Every minute he could hear more daemons pulling themselves from the ground or skittering toward them from other parts of the city.

To his right, he heard Prompto utter a grunt of pain before firing off several shots in succession. As soon as he finished off the giant he'd been fighting with his spear, he moved toward Prompto. By the sound of it, he was near completely surrounded by daemons. Ignis could hear his Drillbreaker and knew that he was using it tactically to gain space as well as do a bit of damage to the group. He moved around, skillfully carving a path with his blades, until he was at Prompto's back, bumping shoulders with him to let him know he was there. Then he turned his focus inward momentarily so that he could gain Total Clarity as Prompto successfully got them some maneuvering room. The second the Drillbreaker stopped, Ignis whipped around the sharpshooter and flung his daggers outward, using the full force of his magic imbued weapons.

"Nicely done!" Prompto yelled, a bit winded. "You got a few of them!"

Ignis smiled in his direction as he heard Prompto take out the last of the group. "Alright, then?" he asked, already knowing that he was. He turned toward a slithering sound at his right and started launching his lance at the spot he knew it would be. At the answering screech, he knew he'd made his mark.

"Yeah," Prompto answered from across the way. It sounded like he'd dodged an incoming blow, a few shots ringing out once more. Likely getting himself into a better position. "Thanks for the assist, Iggy!"

He nodded, moving in quickly with his daggers as soon as his spear made contact with the daemon a third time. There was a familiar clang at his back, and he knew that Gladio had blocked a nearby blow, letting out a little grunt at the force of it. Finishing his own daemon off, Ignis knowingly flipped out of the way when Gladio growled and unleashed his Tempest move against the threat. He summoned his own spear as he went, driving it into another enemy.

His feet had no sooner touched the ground when they were swept out from under him and he was sent sprawling. The force of Prompto's Gravisphere almost instantaneously started pulling at whatever had knocked him over.

"They just keep coming," Prompto yelled over the din and the rain. "We won't be able to keep this up much longer!"

"Just. Keep. Fighting," Gladio grunted out, and Ignis could hear the blows he was doling out in between his words. He was sounding quite worn out as well, he noticed as he pushed himself to his feet.

"We can't give up now," Ignis added, backing up a bit and taking a moment to catch his breath while he launched his spear at the daemons still held in place from Prompto's attack.

He could hear the despair enough in his companions voices to know that they weren't really making any sort of dent in the hoards of daemons that were swarming them, but they were succeeding in what they were trying to do, and that was all that mattered right now. Ignoring the niggling voice at the back of his mind that knew that Prompto was right, he threw his all into holding their positions.

Ignis could tell the very moment when Noctis had done what he'd set out to do. There was an intense sort of static in the air, heavy with magic. All around them and all at once, the daemons started disintegrating at their feet. He held firm, daggers still at the ready until he heard the others making their way to him.

"He's done it then," he said when Prompto settled a hand on his arm. He wasn't really asking, he already knew, and the thought left him feeling a sort of elated sadness.

Gladio clapped a hand on his shoulder, a thick note of pride in his voice as he replied. "He has."

Within moments, the rain stopped, a calming serenity in the sudden quiet. Ignis let out a gasp when he felt the warmth on his skin. He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips as he whispered, "the sun?"

"It's a beautiful sunrise, Iggy," Gladio uttered, his voice cracking slightly with strain.

He felt Prompto shift beside him, and then the snapping of his camera. "The prettiest," he said, sniffing as he snapped another shot.

"Then...the dawn has come," Ignis said, half to himself. He took a long steadying breath and turned his unseeing gaze to the heavens. With a shuddering sigh, he whispered, "Well done, Noct."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	2. After Dawn Breaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gentiana comes to see the retainers at dawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *This* is the part of the fic I intended to write yesterday! Why I've chosen to write from the pov I'm most unfamiliar with, especially when I use sight a *lot* in my writing, I have no idea. Writing a blind person's pov is definitely more challenging than I expected. I hope I've done Ignis at least a bit of justice.
> 
> I added a few more tags, and tweaked the summary a little. Also, check that warning. It's not visually graphic, obviously, but I feel it's still best to warn for possibly squicky things.

They stood there in silence a moment longer, only the soft clicking of Prompto's camera breaking the serenity that had settled almost instantaneously over the city. Which is why Ignis noticed the exact moment something shifted behind them. He didn't know what or who, but suddenly there was a _presence_ there, and he found himself turning a frown over his shoulder.

"Who's there?" he said and heard Prompto's startled intake of breath as the others turned.

"Gentiana!" Came Gladio's surprised gasp.

Ignis blinked rapidly, his eyebrows rising. Gentiana didn't usually commune with them, especially without Noctis around. They hadn't expected to see anything of the Astrals after the prophecy was fulfilled, and, unless something had gone horribly sideways, he had no idea why the Glacian would seek them out now.

"Um, don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here?" Prompto asked, shifting forward slightly toward the presence. His voice started rising as he continued, "Noct did it. The Light is back, the daemons are gone, Ardyn is--"

"Gone," Gentiana finished for him, her voice calm, yet loud enough to carry over him. "Yes, the King of Kings has fulfilled his duty. The Starscourge has been purged from this world."

"Okay," Gladio said slowly, taking it all in. "Then, why _are_ you here?"

"Because the Lady Lunafreya was very," she paused a moment, seeming to consider her words, "adamant in her plea."

"Her plea for what?" Prompto put in.

"For the Chosen King's life," Gentiana said matter-of-factly, as though she were telling them something as obvious as the sky being blue.

Ignis gasped, his whole body jerking at Gentiana's words. Not daring to hope too much, he found words tumbling brokenly out of his mouth anyway. "And...have the Gods...acquiesced this plea?"

The smile was there in her words as she responded, "They have." She paused a moment, then continued, "but your King has need of you still. You must go to him now."

Before any of them could react, there was a familiar whooshing sense of energy in front of them, and Ignis knew that she had gone.

"Well," Gladio breathed out the moment they were alone again. "That was nice of them."

"We shall see," Ignis replied, cautiously.

"Let's go," Prompto said, a little desperate as his feet pounded up the front steps of the Citadel.

He followed immediately, feeling Gladio moving briskly at his side.

Ignis thought back to the visions Pryna had shown him in Altissia all those years ago. How would they find their King? He'd known how it ended, how they would have found him...otherwise. How could Noctis survive that?

It took them mere minutes to get to the throne room. Much faster than it had taken earlier that evening, their quick footsteps unimpeded by the Kings of Old or Ardyn this time. His feet had followed the path through the place he'd memorized at an early age without having to even think about it.

They paused only a moment at the large heavy doors of the throne room, and then Gladio was pushing them open.

He felt the other two freeze as they took in whatever view was in front of them. Prompto's choked sob was nearly enough to tell him what he wanted to know, but he had to have the truth.

"Is he...?" he started, not really knowing what he wanted to say. _Dead? Alive? Breathing? ...Unharmed?_ , he dared to think.

Gladio swallowed audibly, and Ignis heard the others start to move. "He...he's pinned to the throne, Iggy," he said tightly.

That spurred him into action more than anything else, and he found himself bounding up the steps, taking them as quickly and efficiently as if he'd never lost his sight. When he reached the top, he slowed until his knee bumped into Prompto's frame kneeling on the floor to the left of the throne. He reached out then, stepping around the blond. His hand bumped lightly against metal, and in his mind's eye, he knew it was the Sword of the Father holding Noctis in place. He stretched his hand further, moving to Noctis's right side, and his fingers met with still slightly warm, damp, fabric. Guiding his hand up and along his collar, he found his neck and placed two fingers against his pulse point. His skin was warm.

He didn't know how, but there was a very faint thrumming under his fingertips. "There's a heartbeat," he said aloud. And, now that he was listening for it, he could hear the very shallow rasps of breath coming from their charge.

"What is this?" Gladio growled out, anger threading his words.

It sounded as though he were demanding an answer from them, and Ignis turned his head toward the King's Shield standing behind him in front of the throne.

The soft voice that answered almost startled him. He'd been so focused on Noctis that he hadn't noticed Gentiana's return.

"It is the will of the Astrals," she told them, calmly.

" _The will of the Astrals_ ," Gladio repeated. "The will of the Astrals is to bring him back to _this_?" There was a rustle of fabric punctuating his demanded question.

His voice seemed to break Prompto out of his vigil at Noctis's other side. "Gladio!" he called out.

The Shield ignored him, his voice holding a threatening lilt as he continued. "I don't know what kind of plea the Oracle made to you, but I doubt it was to see him suffer more than he already has. He's done his dues, leave him be!"

Ignis stood unmoving, his hands still resting on Noctis, feeling guiltily reassured by the warmth and proof that their king was still alive as Gladio yelled at the presence before them.

"If you wish him to live, you must get him down from there," Gentiana said, ignoring Gladio's outburst.

He heard Gladio's intake of breath, readying himself for another flurry of words and he reached out, digging his fingers into the Crownsguard jacket when they made purchase with the material. "Gladio," he whispered softly. The longer they argued about this, the longer Noctis definitely _would_ suffer for it. "Please, let's do as she says."

The shoulder slumped under his grasp, and Gladio let out a long, loud huff of air as he turned back to face them. He stood there a moment, and Ignis imagined he was steeling himself for what they had to do. Finally, he shifted, and Ignis moved back to stand next to the throne.

"Prompto," Gladio said gently. "I'm gonna need you and Ignis to hold him up."

Prompto's voice cracked around his short reply. "Right."

He sniffed, and Ignis could hear him audibly swallowing as he placed his own hands back on Noctis's shoulder. Together, they gently pushed the King's slumping body back against the throne. Noctis's head lolled to the side, chin resting against Ignis' hand. He wheezed a little harder with the movement but was thankfully still unconscious.

"Ready?" Gladio asked after a moment.

Ignis shifted his feet, firmly planting them on the floor and leaned his weight forward toward the throne, putting pressure behind his hands.

"Ready," Prompto answered, and Ignis nodded back to his friend.

"Do it, Gladiolus," he said, keeping his words as steady and commanding as he could manage. Though he knew Gladio would never admit to it, he needed the order in his words. And Ignis would do his best to give him the strength he needed right now, in whatever way he could.

The air shifted as Gladio moved forward. His boot scuffed against the seat of the throne where he planted it for leverage, and then the movement stopped.

Ignis didn't stop bracing himself, keeping ready for when Gladio steeled his resolve. He was about to say something to spur him along when Gladio sucked in a deep breath and _tugged_. The sudden force of the blade being pulled away jerked Noctis's body forward, but Ignis held him firmly against the seat of the throne. Prompto's soft pants accompanying his own as they held him steady.

The sword clattered to the ground at their feet and then Gladio was leaning into them, easing Noctis forward enough to get an arm around him. Ignis moved out of the way as he lifted him, and followed as he slowly and carefully descended the steps to the base of the throne room. Noctis's wheezing rasps were much worse now, echoing all around the chamber, and Ignis squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to calm his fraying nerves.

"What now?" Ignis asked when they'd reached the bottom, hoping his voice didn't sound quite as desperate as he felt.

"Here," Gentiana's voice came from his right. "Please lay him down."

Gladio grunted softly as he knelt, knee popping as he lay Noctis gently on the tile of the throne room.

Ignis felt Prompto move past him, sliding to his knees on the floor beside them. "Noct," he nearly sobbed. He took a ragged breath and then turned his words toward the Glacian. "If you're going to do something magic-y to save him, now is the time!"

There was a beat of silence where only Noctis's wet gasping breaths could be heard. Then the air around them seemed to shift again, and for one wild moment, Ignis thought Gentiana had left them.

"Now _is_ the time," an entirely different voice said into the quiet.

"Lady Lunafreya," Ignis exclaimed in surprise, bowing his head in reverence even as he spoke.

"The Chosen King's destiny is fulfilled," she said, voice firm with conviction and Ignis felt as though her words weren't meant for them, but the Astrals themselves. "The Crystal and the Ring of the Lucii are now replete, and the power of the Oracle is nearly drained, as well."

She paused and Ignis felt her presence move closer to them. He could hear Gladio and Prompto moving back away from Noctis to stand by his side.

Quieter now, Lunafreya continued, "That may be so, but I will use the very last bit of my abilities that the King may live."

Ignis waited with baited breath, straining his ears to hear what was happening in front of him. He sensed more than felt the faint magic of her healing touch and internally prayed that it would be enough.

Noctis's ragged breathing turned to a much more desperate gasping groan, and then he was coughing and gagging loudly as he tried to catch his breath. He took several more painful breaths and groaned loudly again.

"Lu...na?" he barely rasped out. It triggered another coughing fit that had him nearly gagging once more.

She shushed him softly. "Be still, my King," she chastised gently.

A few more moments went by with nothing but Noctis's increasingly less frantic breathing as he expelled the fluids restricting his airway. A soft moan escaping every few gasps.

"Luna," he tried again, and his voice was a little stronger now, coming out in a whisper. "What?" he said, sounding completely dazed. "I don't--"

"They will explain, Your Majesty," she said, halting his words. Then she shifted and continued, "I have done all that I can do. The last of the Oracle's magic has been expended. His wounds are no longer fatal, but he will still need to recover." There was a pause and more shifting, and then she said, softer, "I pray that you may live a long life. Become the great King that you were always meant to be, Noctis."

"Luna." The sorrowful note in Noctis's voice was hard to hear. Ignis knew there was so much that the King wanted to say to Lunafreya, but he heard him swallow thickly and utter a faint, "thank you," around a shuttering breath.

She must have stood then. He could feel her focusing on the three of them once more. "It isn't my place, and it seems almost criminal to ask any more from any of you, but I would ask that you once more dedicate your lives to him, so that he may live the fullest life. Let him be the King of Light that leads the people of Eos out of the darkness and into a new world, free of the Starscourge."

"Of course," Ignis answered immediately, tipping his head toward her once more.

"It isn't even a question," Gladio said firmly. "The King's Shield is for life."

"Always by your side," Prompto uttered, and Ignis imagined he was speaking to Noctis rather than Lunafreya herself.

"I leave him to you, then," she said.

The air shifted then, and Ignis knew that they were finally, truly, alone with their King.

The rest of the world might be seeing the light of a sun they hadn't in a decade, but here in this half-collapsed throne room, his King blessedly _alive_ and the other two companions he cared most about in the world here with him, it was the brightest day Ignis had had in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There may be more to this. I have some vague ideas about where I want it to go, but I rather like this as is. Thoughts?
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


	3. For A Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For a moment, there was nothing.
> 
> ...And then, there was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, I did want more from this. *amused* I...honestly don't even know what I'm doing with this fic anymore, lol! But I wanted more from this scene, and I've also been wanting to try writing Noctis, so...have it again, from his side of things.

For a moment, he was done.

He'd sat the throne, absorbed the power of the Lucian Kings into the Ring, and fought Ardyn in the Beyond, finally ridding the world of the scourge plaguing it at last.

For a moment, there was nothing.

...And then, there was.

He was back in the Beyond, floating limply where he'd collapsed, feeling just as wrecked and weak as he had moments ago. Half of his right side burned from the Ring of the Lucii's release of power, and he felt as if his whole body had been split in two. The pain was nearly all he could focus on.

Was this what the afterlife was like? Had he messed up somewhere? Was there a way to screw up purging a soul on another plane of existence?

"You did well, Noctis," came a familiar voice.

He let his head slowly turn in the direction of the voice.

Luna was there, coming toward him. "Your suffering will soon end," she said, and she knelt by his side, reaching out to touch his face. The pain started to recede at her touch. "Although, I am sorry that you must endure it for even a moment."

He leaned into her hand, closing his eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked through the fire in his throat, voice coming out like gravel.

Silence met his question, the slow movement of her fingers on his cheek the only reassurance that she was still there. The silence carried on long enough that he forced his eyes open to look at her, and found her frowning down at him.

He was about to speak, to ask her why she was frowning, when she looked up, caught his eye, and asked, "What--what is it you want most, Noctis?"

His brow creased at her seemingly out-of-place question and she went on, waving a hand, palm up, toward him. "For yourself." She took a breath and went on. "If there were a way that you could have survived this, would you want to?"

"I--," he started, then swallowed. He'd wanted to live. He hadn't wanted to leave his three most cherished companions to fix the world on their own once the Starscourge was gone. That should have been his job. He was the King, the last of his line. It should have fell to him to bring peace to the world. _Break down the borders_ , he had once said to Prompto. His heart panged with grief at the now empty promise. He'd wanted so much for the world and he'd never be able to do any of it. Because he was the Chosen King and his duty was to seek out the powers of the world and die to bring back the light--not rule a nation.

Luna was still looking at him, calmly waiting for an answer. Her hand still rested on him and its touch was like a shield holding back the intensity of the near agony he'd been feeling moments before. It wasn't actually healing him, he knew, just keeping the worst of the pain at bay. 

"If there had been any other way," he told her, trying not to let his emotions take hold and feeling his throat getting tight anyway. "I would have wanted to stay with them. I was meant to be the King. Not only in name alone or to fulfill some ancient prophecy..." He took a long breath and felt a tear slide unbidden down his face. "I just wanted to be the king my father wanted me to be."

Luna gave him a watery smile, gently wiping away his tear.

"You already are, Noctis."

She moved a hand to his chest and the burning there started to ebb. He closed his eyes and heard her whisper a soft, 'thank you', and then he felt the power of the Oracle flowing into him. When he opened his eyes once more, Luna was still in his vision, but he was no longer in the Beyond, the steps of the throne room and Gentiana at her back. The intensity of the pain had returned full force, and he struggled to even suck air into his lungs. The tang of blood was on his tongue and he turned his head to the side as he coughed and retched.

"Lu--na," he barely got out around his constricted airway and he leaned sideways, heaving some more as he tried to catch his breath.

Luna pushed against his chest with slightly more force than before, holding him in place. "Be still, my King," she whispered, and he focused on her as he lay there gasping for air.

His thoughts scrambled for purchase around the myriad of sensations coursing through him. None of this made any sense. What was actually happening? _Could_ his life be spared? Was that what Luna had been asking? Could she do that? Would this undo his sacrifice? ...Was any of this even real?

It was getting easier to breathe. There was still an awful gurgle every time he drew in a breath, but he wasn't nearly as panicked as he had been, which helped. He chanced speaking once more. He needed to understand.

"Luna." His voice came out a gravelly whisper, and somehow he managed not to cough. Her eyes shifted to his, and he continued. "What--?" He drug in a breath. "I don't--"

"They will explain, Your Majesty," she answered, smiling at him a moment in apology then tipping her head upward.

Noctis turned his head in the direction she was looking. His three retainers stood there, quietly watching.

"I have done all that I can do," Luna told them. "The last of the Oracle's magic has been expended. His wounds are no longer fatal, but he will still need to recover."

He saw Gladio nod, and then Luna was turning back to him and taking his hand in her own. He drew his eyes up to meet hers.

"I pray that you may live a long life," she told him, and a tear slid down her cheek. "Become the great King that you were always meant to be, Noctis." _That you already are,_ went unspoken, but he saw it there in her gaze.

"Luna," his voice came out on a sob, and he felt his throat closing up for an entirely different reason. He felt the tears he'd been holding back slip free, and he could only manage to utter a small "thank you" in return.

It wasn't enough. It would never be enough. She had given so much for him-- _always_ for him. She deserved more than just his gratitude.

She seemed to understand and smiled sadly, reaching out to caress his cheek gently. It lasted a moment, and then she was standing and looking toward Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis once more.

"It isn't my place, and it seems almost criminal to ask any more from any of you," Luna addressed them, stepping carefully around him. "But I would ask that you once more dedicate your lives to him, so that he may live the fullest life. Let him be the King of Light that leads the people of Eos out of the darkness and into a new world, free of the Starscourge."

Their answering voices were the balm he needed, and he found himself smiling back at them as they reassured Luna. Ignis had bowed his head, answering instantly without hesitation; Gladio stood ever tall, unwavering pride as a Shield in his stance as well as his voice; and Prompto, face brimming with tears, saluted him as he uttered the words he'd said so many times in the past.

"I leave him to you, then," she finished. She turned back and bowed her head to him, letting her eyes slip closed as she did. He nodded back when she opened them, and then, like a flower petal in the wind, she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm feeling a heavy need to write more from Nocto's pov. ~~Although I'm sure Prompto is going to have his turn very soon.~~ I really enjoyed writing this one. :)


	4. For A Moment (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bros take care of Noctis. Picks up where the last chapter left off. Noctis pov. Lots of h/c feels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not super happy with this one, but I'm tired of staring at it, so... *posts* /o\
> 
> I'm definitely wanting to see where this goes as a story, though, and 750Words has successfully kept me going, so I think I'll just keep it up and see where this story takes me!
> 
> Thank you guys for all of the lovely kudos and comments, they truly make my day! <3

As soon as Luna had gone, Prompto collapsed to his knees at his side and started sobbing outright. He held himself upright with one hand, reaching out with his other to rest it on Noctis's shoulder. Noctis merely watched him as tears continued to flow down his own cheeks, trying to focus on his breathing and still kind of unsure about everything that had just happened.

Ignis knelt beside Prompto, placing a hand on the sharpshooter's shoulder, both for leverage and comfort, squeezing it gently once he'd lowered himself to the floor. He stretched a hand out toward Noctis, prodding the air until his fingers landed against his wrist. Noctis turned his hand as much as he could where it rested against his abdomen and squeezed Ignis's fingers.

He wanted to speak. He wanted to say so much to them right now, but he could still feel the leftover blood and gunk in his throat and chest and doing anything more than just breathing and trying to work the rest of it out was hard enough without complicating it with speaking. While the pain was nowhere near where it had been when he'd...come back to himself, he could feel himself shaking and he still absolutely ached everywhere.

"You're shaking," Ignis whispered, his thumb ghosting over Noctis's knuckles.

Gladio huffed softly from where he still stood.

"Geez, you two are gonna smother him before he even has a chance," he admonished, though his words held no bite. He moved forward then, coming around to Noctis's other side.

When he joined them on the floor, Ignis raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Yes?" he said pointedly.

Gladio threw him a look, that Ignis was absolutely aware of by the unamused tilt of his head, but didn't retort. Noctis felt his lip quirk at the familiarity of it all and when he looked toward him, Gladio spared a moment to share in his amusement. Then his face sobered and he threw a hand into the fringe that had escaped his ponytail over the course of the night. He looked completely haggard; they all did.

Some of the muck chose that moment to dislodge from his throat and he choked on a gasp, throwing him into a violent coughing fit that had him out of breath in seconds. He couldn't stop long enough to get a decent breath in and he felt that earlier panic starting to settle in the back of his mind once more.

He was barely aware of the hands on him, turning him on his side while he gasped and choked. Someone was pounding his back, and then he was hacking and spitting blood and muck onto the floor. He lay there gasping and spitting while he caught his breath, the panic slowly receding with the help of whispered words of comfort at his back. The fire had reignited across his chest and his throat felt like it had had sandpaper dragged over it, but the awful gurgle in his lungs was gone. He felt like the majority of the extra blood was now more on the outside, at least, finding it much easier to draw in a breath without constantly feeling like he was going to choke on it.

When his short, shallow pants started to even out a bit, he cast his eyes up from the floor. Gladio was directly in front of him, his hand planted on Noctis's arm where he was holding him steady. Prompto was at his side watching him worriedly and Noctis realized he was clutching his hand in his own. Ignis was speaking softly at his back, rubbing it gently and telling him when to breathe in a calm tone. He'd heard him when his mind was in a panic, and his voice had helped to get his breathing back under control.

He hauled in a larger breath this time, intending to ask one of the myriad questions plaguing him at the moment. Gladio held a hand up then, shaking his head, and he let it out on a half groan that came out like more of a soundless wheeze than anything.

"Don't try to talk," he told him, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Just get yourself under control first so we can assess you and figure out what you need."

Noctis threw him a half-glare for his admonishment but relented.

His gaze shifted to Prompto. He'd seemed to have gotten himself mostly under control during his coughing fit, no longer sobbing uncontrollably. He offered him a watery smile and squeezed his hand. "Hey, buddy. That got a little dicey there for a minute, but it looks like Luna had your back all along."

He huffed but frowned at them in question.

"Gentiana came to us, after you, uh...after," Prompto finished awkwardly, his thumb tracing a pattern into the back of his hand.

Gentiana had? That made even less sense. He could feel the crease of his brow deepen.

Ignis hummed in agreement. "She told us that Luna had made a plea to the Astrals and asked us to go to you."

Gladio let out a small chuckle. "Sounded like she told them off, actually."

"Indeed," Ignis replied, amusement and relief coloring his voice.

Noctis tried clearing his throat, letting out a small cough. "Water," he half-grunted on a whispered breath, ignoring Gladio's previous order.

At first, he wasn't sure he'd even been heard, but then Prompto jumped as if he'd been burned.

"Oh!" he said and pulled his hand out of his. "Yeah, hold on."

He pushed himself to his feet and sprinted around them, and Noctis could hear his plodding footsteps as they sounded up the steps toward the throne.

Ignis reached around him in Prompto's absence and he could feel him undoing what buttons were left of his shirt. His usual gloves were off; the warmth of his fingertips brushed across the still-sensitive skin over his breastbone and he hissed softly through his teeth.

Ignis murmured a soft apology and trailed his hands upward to undo the last of the buttons. "We need to get this off to gauge how bad the damage is," he said as he diligently made quick work of the rest of the buttons. "Although, it felt as though the wound was closed, at least?"

The last of his sentence tilted up in a question, as if he wasn't quite sure, but wasn't going to go poking at it again just yet to find out.

"Yeah," Gladio answered, helping Ignis pull his shirt open, half-untucking it from his trousers in the process. "It looks really red, but there's also a lot of blood still. It's kind of hard to tell, but it definitely looks closed up."

"If barely," Prompto put in, grimacing slightly as he knelt back into the spot he'd abandoned moments before. He reached into the satchel he'd brought along with them on their journey and pulled out a canteen, unscrewing the top. "There's still quite a bit here. I filled it up when we were at the Glaive's base camp.”

Gladio was turning him then, slightly shifting him more onto his back so that he could support his head, tipping it up so that he could drink. Noctis wasn't able to bite back the low groan he let out with the movement, feeling a shudder roll through him at the renewed pain. He’d squeezed his eyes shut momentarily, only realizing it when he was opening them once more.

Prompto had scooted forward, leaning against him a bit as he held the canteen up to his lips. He waited until Noctis nodded, then said, “Be careful, Noct. Little sips,” as he slowly tipped the container forward.

The water helped immensely, doing wonders for his raw throat. He found he only had the strength to take very small sips anyway, even if he did feel like gulping down the entire container. Prompto held it there until he pulled his head back, and then Gladio lowered him back to the floor.

“Thanks,” he said, and found it wasn’t nearly as painful or as difficult to speak as before. His voice came out almost steady, even.

Prompto nodded as he recapped the canteen. "There's more here if you need it, just let me know."

Ignis had produced a cloth from somewhere and started gently scrubbing it over his torso, wiping away some of the blood. He was avoiding the center of his chest, making only the gentlest of passes when he got near it. Gladio took it from him after a moment, used a bit of Prompto's water to get it wet, then worked on the places Ignis had missed.

Noctis closed his eyes at their ministrations, letting himself drift with his thoughts.

It had been Luna that had asked the Astrals to save him, then. How did she have enough power to bring him back? He’d been--he was dead, wasn’t he? Did Gentiana help her somehow?

"She asked me what I wanted." The words fell unbidden from his mouth.

The hands on him stopped moving, and he opened his eyes.

"Lady Lunafreya?" Ignis asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. I--," he started and found himself overwhelmed with emotion once more. He took a breath and steeled his voice. "I got rid of him--Ardyn, in the Beyond...the Kings of Lucis and I..." Luna had been there too, and the three of his retainers, but he didn't say it. "We did it...with the power of the ring," he finished, holding up his right hand. The ring was gone and he marveled at that for a moment. He could still feel the remnants of the power that had burned through him like lava, crawling up his body from the ring on his finger, and was mildly surprised to find that his arm wasn't ashen.

"And then," he continued, his breath stuttering a bit, "and then it was over and I was gone."

"Then what happened?" Prompto asked, frowning at him. "Did you just wake up here? No wonder you were confused."

Noctis shook his head, frowning. "I--I was gone. It was over," he said again. "And...And then I was back in the Beyond, and Luna was there."

"And," Ignis went on after a moment. "She asked you what you wanted."

He held back a wince as Gladio went back to cleaning him, drawing his eyes toward Ignis. "She asked what I would have wanted, had I been given any other option."

Gladio huffed an amused grunt at him. "You must have sold her on whatever you said to her, then."

Noctis smiled up at him.

"What did you tell her?" Prompto asked.

He cleared his throat and it worked up a bit more of the fluid and flem. He turned his head and spit to the side, then looked toward the canteen still in Prompto's hand. His friend understood without him having to ask, and moved to open it as Noctis replied. "I told her that I wasn't done yet."

Gladio paused, setting the cloth on his leg, and reached under his head once more to help him take another drink.

"Of course you did," he said, half mocking, half laughing, as Noctis sipped.

The pride was there in his voice though, and it made Noctis glad to hear. So often in the past he'd disappointed and frustrated his Shield. A small part of him had wondered what his retainers would have wanted for themselves. Their lives belonged to him...maybe they had wanted to go off on their own, have their own lives, once he had gone...

But then he thought of how they'd responded to Luna's plea, rededicating themselves to him without hesitation, nothing but unwavering pride and gratitude in their voices.

Ignis's hand found his and squeezed it, and Noctis wondered for a moment if he'd rambled his thoughts out loud. "I'm glad," he uttered softly, and Noctis realized that he was crying once more.

"Ignis," he whispered, squeezing his hand in return.

He bowed his head, wiping his eyes with his other hand, but stayed silent.

"Okay," Gladio interrupted and gave them both a concerned glance before continuing, "Iggy can you help me with him? Hold him up so I can get his shirt off?"

The distraction seemed to be just what the Advisor needed. Ignis nodded and slid his hand out of Noctis's grip, shifting up closer to his shoulder.

Painstakingly slowly, they eased him into a sitting position. Prompto had moved forward to help while they removed what was left of his Kingly Raiment. Noctis had ended up leaning into him, forehead resting against his shoulder, while Gladio cleaned and checked his back.

"Well?" Prompto asked after a moment of listening to Noctis's soft panted moans every time Gladio moved the cloth over the most sensitive part of his back. "It's closed up too, right?"

"It is," Noctis replied, not waiting for Gladio to answer. "S'just..." he paused, sucking in a breath as he made another pass, "Really tender."

"What are we gonna do with him?" Prompto asked, and Noctis could feel him shifting to look down at him. "I mean, we can't carry you all the way back into the subway tunnel. Well, I mean we _could_ , but it's a little impractical."

"We can use the rooms here in the Citadel," Ignis supplied. "It seems almost completely structurally intact, at least. Is there still electricity?"

"There is," Gladio replied.

"Good," he said, a note of decision in his voice. "Then we have everything we need right now. We'll stay here."


	5. Of Duty & Decorum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Ignis find a place to take Noctis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking some liberties here as to where rooms are as it's been a while since I've watched Kingsglaive or played through Insomnia in the game. I know next to nothing about the proper placement of rooms in a castle, let alone a modernized one with way more floors, so I apologize in advance if I've goofed on the layout.

"Where are the bedrooms again?"

Prompto's question echoed in the empty halls of the Citadel as he followed Ignis out of the prophecy room. He hadn't spent much time in the Citadel at all, and had only been in Noctis's old quarters--that's what they were called here, he was pretty sure--once, when they'd moved Noctis's stuff out of his old apartment right before they left. That had felt like a different time. So much had happened since then--too much. Never in a million years would he have guessed that the journey the four of them set out on over a decade ago would lead them here. Which is about as far away as their old lives in Insomnia felt now.

"The Royal Chambers are just below us," Ignis replied, turning toward the hall with the elevators.

 _Royal Chambers_ , that's what they were called. He knew it was something fancy.

And here was where Prompto was reminded just how much he hadn't known about their lives before their journey. Even his best friend. It was one thing to _know_ that Noctis was royalty, but it had become so easy to forget, especially once they'd left the capital. Noctis had treated them as his equals. They all knew their duties, sure, but...they'd not only protected him, they'd all fought for each other, too--Noctis included.

Which is why it was hard for Prompto to wrap his brain around seeing Noctis in this place with all the Pomp and Circumstance that his position afforded. The other two retainers hadn't had any issue with it. Ignis's demeanor had shifted with Noctis's return, and even Gladio'd spoken like he was talking to King Regis half of the time since his return.

Ignis turned his head toward him as they stepped into the elevator. If Prompto hadn't known any better, he'd swear he was looking him over. He paused a moment, watching Ignis 'watch' him, and then shuffled past him to lean against the wall. Ignis turned away from him then, his skilled fingers moving quickly over the panel of buttons, and then the doors were closing. He didn't turn as the elevator started to move, and Prompto watched him as he tugged his glasses off and scrubbed at his eyes with a finger and thumb. He took a long drawn-in breath, and then slid his glasses back into place.

He seemed to break out of his reverie when the elevator chimed, and when the doors didn't open, huffed out in amusement.

"Do me a favor, Prompto," he said and went on before he could reply. "There should be a number keypad displayed here," he continued waving a hand at a small screen Prompto hadn't noticed before. "Type in 8-1-6-0-5-2."

Ignis stepped back as Prompto shifted past him and put the code in. There was a positive chime when he hit 'enter', and then the doors slid open.

Prompto made to step out of the elevator but stopped just in front of the doors when he realized Ignis hadn't moved.

"Iggy--" he started but realized he didn't know what to say. He swallowed and moved back toward him. Ignis followed him wordlessly when he gently took him by the arm and led them both out.

"Which way?" he asked, eyes following the path both ways down the hallway.

The elaborate hallway was different here. The paintings lining the walls were more...personal; the one mounted directly in front of the elevator a large family portrait, done just after Noctis was born. It was more candid than the other regal ones he'd seen throughout the Citadel. A much younger King Regis had his arm around Queen Aulea and his newborn son, tearful adoration alight on their faces. It must have been one of the last pictures of the Queen. Prompto's heart panged with the thought.

"To the right," Ignis replied, and moved the arm Prompto had in his grip to point.

Prompto turned, silently pulling him along and searching for something to say. It was clear Ignis wasn't okay--none of them were, really. But Ignis had gotten really good at internalizing things after Noctis had been taken into the Crystal.

How was someone supposed to react to finding out that they could have their King _and_ end the Starscourge, anyway? They had known long before his return that Noctis would only be with them for a short time until he fulfilled his role in the Prophecy. They'd had years to prepare themselves for that. They were ready when they'd said their goodbyes for the last time.

He hadn't been able to hold in his own emotions, collapsing at his best friend's side as soon as Luna had gone. He'd sobered almost as quickly when Noctis struggled to catch his breath, focusing on what he needed most. Once they'd gotten Noctis cleaned up enough to tell that he wasn't, in fact, bleeding from any open wounds, Gladio sent Ignis and himself to go ready a bed for him.

They wandered past several doors and rooms before they came to a set of doors he thought he vaguely recognized.

"These are his rooms, right?" Prompto asked softly as he turned the handle and pushed his way in.

Ignis nodded and pulled away from him as they entered. He crossed the room, effortlessly navigating through the furniture, and went through another door on the far side.

Prompto trailed along at a much slower pace behind him, taking in the state of the room. Everything looked almost the exact same as they'd left it. The boxes they'd brought over from Noctis's old apartment had been moved from the center of the room where they'd unceremoniously dropped them off the day before they left, and he realized someone must have tidied up the space after they'd gone. Of course, no one had known then that they'd be away that long. After the wedding, everyone had assumed they'd be coming back here.

Now though, everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, the furniture left untouched and unattended for years.

Ignis walked back into the room then, arms full of decade's old immaculately folded bedding.

"It probably won't make much of a difference, but at least these will be less dirty," he said going toward the large bed. When he got there, he paused, frowning. There was no place to set the bedding that wasn't currently covered in dust. "Prompto, can you strip the bed?"

Prompto nodded and spurred himself into action. The dust stirred when he shifted the pillows and drew the sheets back from the top corner, and he forced himself to slow his movements to keep from flinging too much into the stale air of the room. There really was a lot of it.

Once he'd peeled away all the layers of Noctis's bed (with only a minimal amount of sneezing on his part) he helped Ignis stretch the once fresh sheets over the mattress.

"Here's hoping they hold up until we can get some new ones," Ignis said as he tugged one of the corners gingerly.

"Are you kidding?" Prompto answered. "These were like, the best sheets in the kingdom right? Like five-thousand thread count or whatever. I'd be a little surprised if they couldn't last a measly ten years of being unused."

Ignis huffed in amusement, and when Prompto looked up at him there was a hint of a smile there. "Perhaps you are right."

They made quick work of making the bed, Ignis taking way more steps than Prompto in the same amount of time it had taken him. His side definitely looked more presentable, but the presentation wasn't what was important right now.

"Someday," Prompto told him, picking up one of the many pillows to shake out and put a clean pillowcase on. "You're going to have to teach me how to properly make a bed."

Ignis laughed as he replaced the last of the pillows he'd been working on. "Someday I would be glad to show you."

"Ignis," he said, suddenly serious as he set the pillow in place and stepped back. "Are you--" He waved his hands out in front of him and mentally kicked himself for not knowing how to finish.

Ignis took a deep breath, his face sobering in an instant as he pushed a hand into his hair.

"I am..." he paused as his voice wavered a bit, considering his words before he continued slowly. "About as okay as any of us are, I imagine. This outcome was definitely unexpected, though not unwelcome. Although, I'm afraid I'm not doing so well at keeping myself composed."

Prompto chuckled humorlessly. "If it helps, you're doing about as good as the rest of us."

It was a good thing Gladio had at least mostly been able to keep a level head through all of this. If he hadn't been pushing them along with his voice, Prompto would probably still be in a collapsed heap on the floor of the throne room.

Ignis smiled sympathetically at him. He moved around the bed then. Coming over to his side, he reached out and squeezed his shoulder, then turned his head as if looking the room over.

"Well," he said, dropping his hand. "This will have to do for now. We can tidy up the rest of it once the King has had some rest. Shall we go back then?"

 _King._ Prompto frowned at the formality of it. It made it feel as though Noctis was somehow less of a person. That he wasn't a part of them. That he was somehow...separate from them. Which he was, of course, and Prompto knew that, but... He was and had always been his best friend. A best friend who just also happened to be royalty. Referring to him simply by his title seemed...less, somehow.

"Prompto?" Ignis said, cutting through his thoughts.

"How do you--do that? You and Gladio," he said and saw the crease of a frown forming between the other man's brows.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

He moved toward the doors leading back into the hallway, waving his hands as he searched for the words to explain. They stopped in front of the doors, and Ignis stepped around him to open one for them. He waited for Prompto to step through, then fell into step at his side.

"Its just...it comes so easy to you guys,” he tried. “You never lose sight of your duty," he shook his head as they made their way back toward the elevator.

Ignis exhaled softly at his side. "You'd be surprised by how many times I have. Quite literally," he quirked, moving a hand upward toward his face, though his voice was devoid of any humor.

Prompto sighed as they stepped into the elevator. He moved to the back and leaned against the wall. Lifting his arms, he crossed them behind his head, gazing up at the lights above them.

"I guess I have a lot to learn if I'm gonna be a proper Crownsguard to H-His Majesty," he whispered as the elevator started to move, and found that the words didn't actually feel like a betrayal.

Ignis turned to him then, leveling him with a look of understanding.

"I suppose, in some ways, it is easier for us. Gladio and I were raised into our positions, training from an early age. The etiquette comes a bit more naturally than it probably does for you. Although," he continued, reaching up to adjust his glasses. "I'd be lying if I said that choosing duty over friendship hasn't been hard at times."

He stepped toward him, moving to stand beside him even as the elevator slowed to a stop. Prompto let his arms fall to his sides as his eyes trailed after him.

"He will always be one of us," Ignis said, unknowingly mirroring his earlier thoughts. He brought a hand up to his arm and squeezed it gently. "The etiquette part is just a bit more important, now."

Prompto nodded. It hadn't been nearly as important then. After Niflheim had attacked, they'd tried their best to lay low and blend in with the people. Their lack of decorum had been to keep Noctis as safe as possible from prying eyes. He'd just...never been in a position where he'd had to use proper decorum for longer than his (very brief) Crownsguard training. Noctis had always just been a normal person to him. An equal. It was definitely something he'd have to be conscious of now.

"Well then," Ignis said with a false bravado, and Prompto knew that he was trying to dispel the atmosphere that had settled over them. He swept his arm toward the open doors in front of them and tipped his head. "Shall we?"

Playing into his game, Prompto stepped away from the wall and bowed toward the Advisor, before grandly sweeping his own hand out in front of him. "Oh, absolutely! Please, after you, kind sir!"

Ignis actually laughed outright as he stepped out of the elevator. "I _almost_ wish I could have seen that performance."

"You should have," Prompto replied, mock pompously. "It was great! Ten out of ten!"

"I'm sure it was.” The sarcasm was thick in his voice, but he was smiling.

Prompto let out a laugh and smacked his arm playfully, before skipping forward. "Come on, let's get back so we can put Noct to bed."

Ignis's answer followed him down the hallway as he skipped away from him. "Now _that_ I can agree with."

"Hey!"


	6. Something Stronger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio is left alone with Noctis and his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it turns out that Gladio is the hardest of the Chocobros for me to write. I've been trying for days to churn out something decent from his POV. I'm not super happy with this, and it's shorter than I wanted it to be, but I think I'm done with it.

It hadn't taken much pushing to get Ignis and Prompto moving. Their conversation about what to do with the king had given them both something to focus on now that they'd gotten him cleaned up.

Noctis had seemed confused when Prompto scooted away from him, having somehow started to doze in the mere minutes it had taken them to talk over what they were going to do with him. Gladio shifted into Prompto's spot, moving his burden onto his own shoulder. Noctis said nothing of the exchange, merely groaning a bit with the jostling. He was still shaking, though whether it was from the lingering aches and pains plaguing his body or the light chill in the room, he wasn't sure. Ignis had removed his Crownsguard jacket and tucked it around the king's back once Gladio had finished cleaning him up, and Prompto had shucked his own to add on top of it before they'd gone.

Now Gladio was holding a mostly sleeping Noctis, the ever-growing quiet a catalyst for collecting his scattered thoughts.

Things had not gone the way they were supposed to, and while he felt an overwhelming sense of elation that his king was still with them, he still had mixed emotions about it. Mostly he was angry, though he didn't know at who or what anymore. The king had survived his fate, and it was looking as though he would be okay with some rest and time. It was everything they'd wanted...so why was he so upset?

His anger had given him focus, fueling him through getting the king down from the throne and then onto the floor, letting the Oracle do what she could for him. It had kept him mostly on task when the others were so clearly breaking, enabling him to keep everyone moving. He couldn't think about anything he was feeling, not then, when his duty to his king was so much more important. When they needed him to be the voice of reason. There would be time later to wallow in his own emotions.

Besides, what kind of a shield would he be if he were to break when his king needed him the most?

Well, he'd be a human one, he reasoned with himself. He let out a long sigh, watching idly as some of Noctis's hair moved with it.

His thoughts drifted to the other two retainers and he wondered if Ignis at least was working through the doozie of emotions he must be feeling. Gladio'd known that there were things he hadn't shared with them. Things that had happened when they'd gotten separated during the covenant with the Leviathan in Altissia.

A week after Noctis had gone into the Crystal, Ignis had sat the two of them down and told them about the King's fate. Gladio had known about the prophecy from birth. It was almost impossible to have such ties to the royal family and not be as familiar with it as any other fairy tale by the age of three. Of course, this was not a fairy tale. It had become their reality and come to fruition in ways he'd never have guessed. He'd always known the story, he just hadn't realized how great the cost to end the Starscourge would be.

Ignis had internalized a lot of his thoughts and emotions regarding the events of Altissia. It was rare to get him to talk about any of it, even with years and distance. He just seemed to have accepted what was to happen. It was clear his own feelings conflicted with the would-be outcome, but all he ever said about it was that he would follow Noctis no matter what until the end.

Of the three of them, Ignis was the last person he thought would lose his composure. He had always been the brains of their operation, always the perfect picture of calm during a storm. The mental ability to focus and strategize through chaos was his thing. It was how they always worked. Ignis was the brains, he was the brawn, and Prompto was the best of them at emotions. Which is partly why he'd sent the two of them to get a bed ready for Noctis. Prompto didn't know the Citadel well at all, having only been there a handful of times over a decade ago. And Ignis knew the space like the back of his hand but would need Prompto's eyes to get to the suite.

If Prompto happened to help him in some way while they were gone, well, Gladio wouldn't complain. Of all of them, Ignis deserved peace of mind. He'd done nothing but study and plot and plan, and try to come up with alternative possibilities since Zegnautus Keep, and Gladio had watched as every single one became an impossibility for some reason or another. It had taken a toll on the Adviser. Maybe that toll was being collected now that everything had come to fruition and they'd somehow--blessedly--come out on top.

Noctis shifted slightly then, biting back a groan. "Prompto's more comfortable," he grumbled softly into Gladio's shoulder.

Gladio chuckled lightly, taking care not to move too much from it. "Sorry that I'm not a five-star hotel pillow, Your Highness."

Noctis grunted at him, then cleared his throat. "Is there any more water?"

"There is," he answered, tossing his gaze to the side where Prompto'd left the canteen. "But I'll have to move to reach it."

The minimal nod against his shoulder was permission enough, and slowly, gingerly, he leaned and stretched his arm out to grasp the container. He held it up behind Noctis's back to remove the cap with his other hand.

The king took a deep breath and Gladio felt his left hand move from the light grip on his shirt to his thigh, and then he was pushing himself up just enough to lift his head and put space between them. Gladio kept his other hand on his side, bracing him. The king started to move his right hand, but then aborted the motion, his face scrunching up.

He sighed. "I can't, Gladio."

Of course, he'd worn the Ring of the Lucii on the right. Summoning the kind of power that it had held all at once must have ruined his entire arm, if not half of his body. They hadn't been able to see more than his hand before Luna had healed him, and it had looked completely ashen. Even if she'd saved his arm, Noct was definitely still feeling it.

Gladio merely nodded at him, then slid his arm up around his shoulders, steadying him. He held the canteen up to his lips and waited as he drank slowly. When he was finished, Gladio leaned back a little and took a quick swig. The water was cool as it slid down his throat, but it wasn't the sort of drink he was wanting right now.

The look in Noctis's eye when he drew the canteen away said he knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Need something stronger," he said anyway, just as the echoes of footsteps surrounded them once more.

"I'm sure we could all use something stronger," came Ignis's voice. "But later, when Noct has had time to recover."

When Gladio looked up the Adviser had a hand to his shades, pushing them into place. He looked much more collected than before and internally Gladio was glad. Clearly, the moment away with Prompto _had_ helped him to regain his composure.

He relinquished the canteen when Prompto pulled it from his grip and held out the cap in the fingers of his other hand, not moving his arm from Noctis's shoulders. Prompto took a drink as well, and then recapped it.

"Yeah," the sharpshooter said. He huffed a laugh, running a hand through his hair. "We are gonna get so drunk!"

"Indeed."

Noctis let out a half-laugh, half-sob. "So drunk," he said softly, his lidded eyes watery. He was leaning heavily against Gladio's arm now, exhaustion weighing heavy on him once more.

"Well, Highness," Gladio said as if he were talking to the obstinate prince of years past. "What say we get you to bed?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I am going to go with this setup and cycle it back around to Ignis for the next chapter. I've vaguely mapped out the next few chapters, so hopefully, I'll have more up soon. :)
> 
> If you're watching the mess of my rusty writing as I try to gear up for this year's NaNo, then I thank you for giving this your time and hope that you're enjoying! :)


	7. The Comfort of Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get the King to bed and Ignis and Gladio have a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much longer chapter this time. This chapter has been mostly finished for several days now, but I just haven't had the energy to get it edited and posted. ~~Also may have been distracted by the[FFXV Kink Meme](https://ffxv-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org) over on Dreamwidth for the past several days. *coughs*~~ But I've taken a few days off work this week and wanted to get this up. :)

The trek back to the royal chambers was a more subdued affair. Gladio moved slow and careful down the hallways, setting the pace as he carried the king in his arms. Had it have been any other time, Ignis might have commented about how graceful the usually gruff Shield had been. But it wasn't the time or place, and it would have served no purpose to rile him.

Noctis, to his credit, was doing his level best to bite back his grunts and groans, but it didn't stop the odd gasp slipping through anyway.

Ignis himself and Prompto trailed silently behind the Shield as they made their way along. At the elevator, Prompto had moved to the side with the buttons and had inputted the code from memory without prompting when they reached the proper floor.

Getting the king into bed ended up becoming a whole ordeal. Ignis went into the room first, moving to the bed he and Prompto had just made up. He pulled the sheets back and resituated the pillows to make them more comfortable for the king as Gladio crossed the room. He heard a rustle from the other side of the bed and knew that Prompto was likely doing something similar. The bed creaked, springs groaning, and Ignis realized that he had climbed onto the mattress from the opposite side.

"Here," he said softly, and Ignis backed away as Gladio moved up beside him.

He brushed off the not unfamiliar feeling of helplessness. He could try, of course, but with both Gladio and Prompto to help Noctis get situated, he didn't need to. Best to stay back out of the way for now.

"You want on your side?" Gladio asked gently through Noctis's panting breaths.

He must have nodded.

"Any preference?"

"No." The strained answer came out on a grunt of pain.

There was more shifting and grunting and groaning, and then Prompto's voice.

"There we go. How's that buddy? You good?"

He felt Gladio straighten beside him and take a step back from the bed. Noctis must have signaled an affirmative answer.

As soon as Gladio moved, Ignis slid back into the space at Noctis's side. The Shield dropped a hand to his shoulder and squeezed, and Ignis knew that if he could see his face, Gladio would be giving him a look of sympathy. Taking care of Noctis like this had always been entrusted to him, it was a part of his position. He'd become more capable with his disability than many had believed he could, but in moments like these, the reminder of his handicap was a painful one.

He turned an appreciative smile toward Gladio, conveying without words what the unspoken support meant to him.

Noctis's hand found his before he could feel him out, and Ignis schooled his features into impassivity as he tipped his head in his direction. The King's hand shifted in his own as the bed creaked on his other side. Prompto's shifting didn't seem to jostle him too much though, and Ignis noted that the blond hadn't gotten up from the bed, just resituated himself at Noctis's other side.

"Putting His Majesty to bed at dawn," he mused idly, trying for levity. "This sure brings back memories."

Prompto chuckled from Noctis's side, and it sounded like he'd propped himself up by the headboard. There were definitely enough pillows for it.

"At least then he was usually asleep before the sun came up," Gladio added. "Ask him to go for a morning run though..."

"Or to help with breakfast," Ignis added, running the pad of his thumb over a knuckle.

"Still here," Noctis muttered feebly, but Ignis could hear the fondness in his words. "Still tryin' t' sleep."

"Rest," he told him. "You have nothing but time, now, Majesty."

Laying the King's hand back against the sheet, Ignis patted it gently. He skimmed his fingers down the mattress until he found the blankets. They were bunched around Noctis's feet, half tangled in his boots. Lifting each foot carefully, one at a time, he removed the shoes and then tucked his feet under the covers. He tugged the blankets up over him, tucking them around his bare shoulder, only just realizing he'd lost the cover of their coats at some point. They should have gotten him a proper shirt before they'd gotten him settled. There must be some still pressed and folded in his old wardrobe, maybe he could find one that wasn't too terribly musty.

Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face. Noctis made a small noise.

"S'fine, Iggy. This'll do." There was a pause and then, his voice barely above a whisper, "Thank you."

Ignis couldn't help the fond smile tugging at his lips or the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "Sleep, Highness. We'll be here when you wake up."

There was no response, and in mere moments, Noctis's breathing started to even out.

"So," Prompto whispered after several minutes of silence had gone by. "What now?"

"Now we wait," Ignis replied. "We'll need to go out for supplies soon, but that can wait a bit."

Gladio grunted from behind him.

"Good," Prompto said around a yawn. "I could use a nap myself."

"I think we all could, after the day we've had."

None of them had moved since Noctis had dropped off to sleep. There was a chair not far behind him and he moved in its direction to pull it to the king's bedside. He felt Gladio shift out of his way and paused. Gladio had remained mostly silent through this whole ordeal, only speaking when he'd needed to. Unlike he and Prompto, he hadn't had a moment to decompress even a little bit.

He must have lingered on the Shield too long. Before he could say anything, there was a rustle of material, a heavy sigh, and then Ignis felt the rush of air moving at his left.

"I'm gonna go get some air," Gladio ground out and Ignis barely heard his retreating footsteps over Prompto calling out to him.

His sightless gaze shifted to the doors, following the sound, but he let him go. Gladio wouldn't go far, after all. He'd be fine on his own.

"Should we...?" Prompto asked once the doors had snicked shut.

He shook his head and reached for the armchair he knew was there. It was a bit heavy to be picking up, but he didn't want to risk waking the king for his own comfort. Besides, it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He brushed off the seat as best he could once he'd set it down and then let himself sink down into its cushions. He'd done this so often--sat in this exact spot at Noctis's bedside when eight-year-old Noctis had been recovering from his injuries. The familiarity of it all hit him as he relaxed into the chair. This time his charge was merely sleeping rather than in a coma, the threat of his wounds being permanent much less of a concern in the present.

"Y'know, I can scoot over so you can lay over here," Prompto interrupted his thoughts. "I know we're all tired and it's not like Noct will mind much. The bed is big enough all four of us would fit. It'd be just like camping in the tent."

Ignis ignored the pang in his chest at the mention of camp. Their last one had been so emotional. It'd been meant to be the last for the four of them, but it had been the first that they'd shared that old familiar tent in ten years. That familiarity in itself had stirred everyone's emotions that night. The comfort and shelter he'd felt that night with the other three by his side--their group finally whole once more, had calmed him so much that it had been the best sleep he'd had in a long time.

Ignis smiled across the bed. "Thank you. Maybe I will take you up on that later, as it seems the best place of any for sleep right now. But I've spent many a night in years past in this very chair waiting by his side. I must admit I find it oddly...comforting."

"Right," Prompto said, and Ignis heard him shifting around on the bed, the rustle of blankets, and then the soft thunking of his boots falling onto the floor.

"I will wake you if I decide to take you up on sleep," he told him as the other man settled.

"You think the big guy will be okay?" Prompto asked around another yawn.

"He will," he answered.

There was no doubt in his mind that the king's shield would recover his emotions once he had time to process them. It would take them all time. For the first time in years though, he felt they had an endless amount of it. No more starscourge or Arden burdening their every waking moment, or wondering if the king truly would return. Luna had given them all a future filled with hope rather than the bittersweet dawn they'd been expecting. And that future looked brighter than any sun now.

He sat there, lost in thought for a while. Prompto's breathing eventually evened out to match Noctis's, and he took comfort in the sound. His thoughts drifted back to Gladio. He'd been gone for a while now, having well enough time to work through something of his emotions, at least.

He found himself flowing to his feet before he'd even thought much about it. He wasn't even sure where the shield would be, or if he even wanted to find him, but the sudden urge to wander was as strong as his wandering thoughts.

He beat a familiar path down the halls of the citadel. He didn't really pay any mind to where he was going, but he found himself back in the throne room. It was eerie in its emptiness. The events of only mere hours ago now burning as fresh in his mind as the vision he was shown years ago. They hadn't witnessed it in person, but Ignis still felt as if he'd stood helplessly in the doorway as his King had taken his last breath, sacrificing himself for all.

The cool air on his face was a reminder of the outside and he wondered idly what the sky looked like right now.

He didn't let himself linger there long. A short elevator ride later and he found himself walking out of the citadel. Instead of continuing forward toward the steps, he turned right and held his hand out. His fingers brushed against the elaborate stonework of the Citadel, and he let them glide against the bumps and ridges as he walked. When he reached the corner, he turned and started to follow along the wall at a slower pace.

In truth, he wasn't entirely sure where the steps started. He knew, in his mind's eye, that it was a bit of a distance from the top of the steps to the main doors, but, without any other cues to clue him in, he wasn't sure. His pride had kept him from using a walking stick, he'd stopped relying on them years ago. He didn't even have one anymore. He used to keep one folded up on him at all times, just in case. But he'd found, with time, that the panic of constant darkness and not knowing where he was or what was around him had dissipated enough that he didn't need it anymore. All he needed was to stay calm and rely on his other senses to get by, and while it was frustrating and scary at times, he found his way every single time.

Besides, it was hard to fight with a walking stick.

His fingers found the seam in the stonework that he knew was at the top of the flight of stairs. Instead of starting his descent, he stepped down two of the steps and sat, leaning back on his hands. He shifted his sightless gaze skyward and tried to picture the sun, its rays shining down over the ruins of Insomnia.

He wondered how the rest of the world must look now, in the light of its star once more. He closed his eyes and let himself get lost in the warmth sinking into his skin. It was a warmth he hadn't felt it much too long; a warmth he hadn't realized he'd missed until now. The world was still beautiful. He was sitting in a city ruined by war and then further by the daemons, and he knew that much of the plant life had died out without the sun's rays, but...Insomnia, Lucis, Eos would recover. Noctis had cured the world of the scourge, and now it could finally begin to heal.

"Looking for me?"

Gladio's deep voice broke through his musings, and he turned his head in his direction as his footfalls grew closer. He waited until the other man had settled down onto the steps beside him to speak.

"Maybe," he replied, not entirely sure himself. Initially, the shield might have been the reason, but his own wandering about the Citadel had distracted him.

Gladio seemed to let that go and they sat in silence a moment.

"It's nice out here," he said after a long breath. "I wish you could see it."

Ignis smiled and turned back toward the skyline. He liked to think his imagination was good enough, but still, he found himself asking. "Describe it for me?"

There was a moment's hesitation, and then Gladio was taking his hand. He curled three of Ignis's fingers into his palm, and he understood. Prompto had done this with him a few times after he'd lost his vision. He straightened his pointer finger without prompting and let his arm go lax in the other man's grip. Gladio stretched his arm up and toward the right.

"There's the sun," he narrated for him. "Most of the clouds have gone, but there's still some here and there. Big fluffy white ones." He moved their hands as he spoke, tracing out cloud formations, and Ignis closed his eyes and pictured everything he was describing.

Gladio let go then and he let his hand settle back onto his knee.

"The sky is the prettiest shade of blue I've ever seen," he went on. "No more of that murky gray." He paused to laugh. "It makes the rest of Insomnia look a murky gray though."

Ignis frowned at that. "What did it look like before? In the darkness."

"Orange."

His frown deepened and he knew he was giving him an odd look. "Orange?"

He could feel the air shifting as Gladio gestured with his hands. "It was...I don't know, there was a lot of fire, especially with Ifrit around, and the Cerberus--there's still some, actually."

Ignis nodded. That made sense.

He said nothing.

The moment passed and silence settled around them once more.

There was a huff of air at his side.

"How are you doing?"

Those exact words had been on the tip of his tongue and for a startling moment, he wondered who had asked the question. He let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "I..." he started, but then everything he'd been feeling, everything he'd been trying his best to hold back since they'd said their goodbyes on these very steps came to the surface. He gasped out a sob. He reached up with his left hand, pushing his shades up to cover his eyes and felt a heavy hand at his back. He gave into his grief, gasping sobs wracking through his body. He was dimly aware of the warmth sliding up next to him, the hand shifting up around his shoulder as he let himself let go.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed by the time he'd collected himself. It definitely hadn't been his intention to break down out here, or to Gladio. Although he knew that if the king's shield hadn't have been right here, he would not have let himself break. Without his sight, he was even more vulnerable when he turned his focus inward. His sobs drowned out outside noise, and he couldn't even rely on his nose with such a breakdown.

"You good?" Gladio asked softly once the flow of tears had stopped. He was gently rubbing the back of his shoulder with a thumb.

Ignis sniffled and readjusted his glasses. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good," he said.

Ignis took a breath and let it out on a huff of a laugh, still reigning in his emotions. "And here I thought that I would need to comfort you. Thank you, Gladio."

He was quiet a moment too long, and Ignis found himself turning toward him as the Shield pulled away.

"Gladio?" he asked into the quiet. Then, when no answer seemed forthcoming, he asked the same question he'd nearly asked earlier. "How are you doing?"

He was answered with a half chuckle half sob, and he realized that he hadn't been the only one who was crying.

"Not much better than you, as it turns out," Gladio answered. He took a deep breath and shifted a bit, and Ignis imagined he was trying to keep himself under control. "Y'know, this is--I'm so happy he's alive! I am, but...that was it, y'know? We knew that. And we were ready for that. We said our peace, and--" He got choked up then, his voice shuddering on the last word.

Ignis reached out toward Gladio, and his fingers bumped into his leg. He curled them around his knee and squeezed.

"I thought--" Gladio started, and then cleared his throat when his voice wavered. "I thought I was done grieving."

"It's easier to grieve someone with time and distance when they aren't there to remind us," he found himself saying, and realized he needed to work this out for himself too. "Living through it is harder. Although, I don't so much believe this is grief, rather overwhelming relief, along with a release of all of the emotions we'd built up for this day. We thought we'd be grieving during the sunrise, and in a way, we already were when Gentiana summoned us back to him."

"I just...wasn't expecting it to be this hard," Gladio said with a sigh. "Having him back with us, and then everything he said to us the other night... It was so damn hard going on like ten years and an impending death wasn't hanging over our heads."

Ignis nodded in understanding, knowing that Gladio would see. He'd broken down so many times over the years that they'd been without their king. Pouring over the vision Pryna had shown him, getting frustrated every time he realized that there was no other way, knowing that he'd failed his king... A thought occurred to him and he squeezed his friend's knee once more.

Before he could speak though, Gladio let out a loud exhale.

"It's not even just grief or relief, either. I'm angry, Iggy. I'm just so...mad."

He sounded confused like he didn't know why he'd be angry.

"At the Astrals?" Ignis asked. Because that he understood.

"I don't know," he answered with a sigh. "They didn't seem to be super keen on saving his life. Sounded to me like it was all Luna."

Ignis agreed. When he'd initially learned of Noct's fate and studied up on the prophecy of the Chosen King and the history of the Lucian line, he had been angry too. Angry at the Astrals for making Noct clean up a mess that wasn't his, to begin with. Angry at them for making an entire family line suffer for a brother's quarrel that was entirely the fault of the Crystal's choice. Judging a man for saving too many from the scourge, becoming too tainted, and turning him away. Angry for all that they had made Ardyn suffer, which in turn had made the entire world suffer. The Astrals had always had the power to fix this. They had it all along, and yet they let it fester until the Starscourge was too much for even them to ignore. At which point they lumped it all onto the shoulders of the king and left it all to him to fix the world once more.

"Even in death, the Oracle does not rest," he found himself saying the words from memory.

"What?" He heard Gladio whisper from his side.

"Only once the darkness is dispelled is her calling truly fulfilled," Ignis finished and shrugged. "Something Ravus said to me once. I guess he must have been right."

"Think we'll ever see her again?" Gladio's tone was soft.

Ignis shook his head. "No, Gladio, I don't think we will. I think that the Nox Fleuret line can finally, truly, be at peace."

He huffed a bit. "It's about time. Talk about getting a shitty hand." There was a pause and then, "I guess the Lucis Caelum line can finally rest as well."

"Indeed," Ignis smiled as he turned his face skyward. "Although, I still feel that this may well be the end of the family line."

"Heh, you might just be right," he agreed. "...But at least we still have the last one."

"Indeed," he said once more.

The breeze picked up then, and Ignis drew in a long breath of the fresh air. It still carried the faint smell of smoke, but it wasn't nearly as acrid as the air in Insomnia had been when they'd entered it. Off in the distance, he could hear a bird chirping. It eased his mind more than he'd expected and he remembered what he'd wanted to say before.

"You know," he said into the calm air of morning. Gladio didn't make a sound, but he knew he had his attention. He turned his head in his direction and patted the knee still under his palm. "You didn't fail him, Gladio. And you wouldn't have, even if Lady Lunafreya hadn't interfered."

The Shield stayed silent, but Ignis heard his shaky breath.

"None of us failed him," he went on because they both needed to hear it. "We succeeded, Gladio. We protected him all the way back to the throne, as was our due. Take pride in that. Your father would have been proud of you."

Gladio sniffed, and for a moment, Ignis thought he was lost again. When he spoke, he sounded more put together though.

"The King's Shield should fall before the King. That's how I was trained, that's what I always knew." He paused. "I think that's why I'm angry--or, at least part of it? It took me a long time to accept that I would have to stand aside and let him die in the end." He took a long breath, then shifted a bit and a hand was on his back once more. "Thanks, Iggy."

He hummed in reply.

"You haven't failed either," he said, and for a moment Ignis thought he was referring to the same thing. But then he went on, "I know that taking care of him was always your thing, and I know it's hard for you to take a backseat, especially after all these years, but..." He trailed off, seeming at a loss for how to continue.

Ignis smiled despite the emotions it brought up. Because it did bother him, but he didn't have to worry, because Prompto and Gladio both were more than capable of caring for him in the ways that he couldn't. It helped that they all had experience and maturity at their backs. Prompto actually was especially good at being attentive to others' wellbeing. It was why he hadn't even hesitated to leave Noctis's side and wander about the citadel. Prompto would take care of him.

"He has the next best thing," he told him. "I need not worry. I am just grateful that we all made it. Things would have been infinitely more difficult without you."

Gladio huffed in amusement and poked him in the shoulder. "You could say that again."

The pull of exhaustion overwhelmed him a moment, and he wasn't able to control the yawn that crept up on him all of a sudden. "Today has been both trying and eventful," he said after he'd recovered. "I think perhaps I might go lie down for a bit."

"Go rest," Gladio told him with a comforting pat. "I'll take first watch."

It was on his tongue to protest that they didn't need a lookout now, but there was no way of knowing how many of the daemons were still lurking in shadow. He wanted to believe they had no need to worry about their safety from anyone else, either, but then again there was never an absolute certainty. And it would be a poor oversight on them if they failed their king now out of sheer carelessness.

He nodded and pushed himself to his feet. He felt Gladio rise with him as he stepped back up onto the flat surface of the entryway. The shield walked with him up to the main entrance doors, and then Ignis felt him pulling away. He paused momentarily to turn.

"I think I'll stay out here for a while. It's helping to clear my head." Gladio told him. He hesitated a moment and then asked, "You be okay to make it back on your own?"

He knew it was only out of consideration for his emotions that he was offering, rather than his blindness, that he didn't really need any help at all and he smiled at the gesture.

"Yeah," he replied.

"I turned the lock off, by the way. We'll have to figure out a different way to secure that floor."

It took him a moment to realize what Gladio was talking about. He'd almost forgotten about the key code for the royal chambers.

"Thanks," he said, letting his amusement show. "That's how distracted I am, I didn't even think about that. You've saved me a lot of trouble."

He started to turn and then paused. "Is that why you sent Prompto along?"

There was a confused hum, and then, "What? Oh! Well, I guess that was part of it? Figured it would help you both. In more ways than one."

Ignis gave him a genuine smile. "All these years, even spent more apart than together, and our intuition with one another has only gotten stronger."

"'Course it has," Gladio replied, full confidence in his voice. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Nor would I."

Ignis turned and started to head inside.

"Thanks for the talk, Iggy."

He paused only a moment at Gladio's words and nodded. "Come get one of us when you feel like crashing."

"I will," he replied, and Ignis could hear his footsteps moving away from him. "'Night, Iggy."

"Goodnight, Gladio."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


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